ML385657191

Observation details

Huge, very dark owl. Initially seen flying across track in front of us, huge size and colouration made us think it might be a Crowned Eagle (one had been calling a few minutes before). Relocated, due to mobbing calls from Shining Drongos, perched on a horizontal branch some 40 m away. It turned to look directly at us for a few seconds, before it dropped off the branch and vanished from view. A huge dark owl, with dark eyes in a dark sooty face and a heavy pale horn coloured bill. Heavy dense blackish ear tufts. Plumage all dark sooty brown, barred black on flight feathers and tail. Breast and neck feathers that showed were heavily barred dark.